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Collaborate Groups, projects & programmes, discussions, Q&A

According to research by Nobel Prize winner Daniel Kahneman and others, ‘Commuting is among life's least enjoyable activities.’ It is all the more bothersome if the commutes are not properly equipped with modern amenities and not at par with world class standards. In addition to this, situation of Urban Commutes is getting deplorable with each passing day adding to passengers' woes.
These are the worst urban commutes in the world:
Beijing
For as much as China makes noise about its grand maglev trains that zip about, it still suffers from outdated and over-utilized urban infrastructure like... Read more

‘Urbanization’ driven both by population growth and high levels of rural-urban migration is now happening at an record scale and pace, constituting what the World Bank describes as "the defining phenomenon of the 21st century".
An estimated 3.5 billion people now live in cities and this growth is overwhelmingly concentrated in the developing world. Of these urban dwellers in the south, roughly 1 billion live in slums usually with little access to water, sanitation or adequate – and legally recognized – shelter.
These statistics have produced diverging visions of the future southern cities as... Read more

MIT urban development head asserts that Agenda 21 smart cities are the best alternative to outright population control. In a recent Q&A with SmartPlanet, top urban developer and director of MIT’s Media Lab’s Changing Places group Kent Larson openly states that Agenda 21′s concept of smart cities and micro-apartments is the alternative to outright population control.
He also stresses that the influence MIT wields in the actual development of so-called micro-apartments is increasing. According to Larson, “We just have to accept that cities are growing. You could wish they weren’t. You could... Read more

Non Motorised Transport (walking and cycling) are the most popular means of transport Uganda. Yet they are
also the most unsafe.Despite the numerous advantages of bicycle transport, it has not been accorded due status as mode of transport. Bicycle transport is environmentally friendly, space efficient, healthy, self regulated and cheap to acquire and maintain. Its advantages are universal and therefore apply to all countries whether developed or not.
Transport costs are inevitable because land uses and services must be accessed. Additionally, with the current economic crisis, transport costs... Read more

The idea of cities that give something back is starting to gain momentum as the reality of human induced climate change is literally alleviating around the world.
Cities are facing new and rapidly evolving challenges, right from the effects of global warming to increasing urban populations. So what are the urban planning strategies or changes we need in order to transform our cities into liveable and sustainable habitats for now and the future?
By 2050, two-thirds of the world’s population will live in urban areas. Until recently, major urban planning strategies covered all aspects from... Read more

In this discussion, Blaise Dobson and Jean-Pierre Roux argue that African urbanization and rapidly increasing informal settlements present an opportunity to build truly adaptive cities.
African cities are characterized by high levels of slums and informal settlements, largely informal economies, high levels of unemployment, majority youthful populations and low levels of industrialization. They have the highest growth rates in the world despite the fact that sub-Saharan Africa is still only approximately 40% urbanized.
The urban poor, who largely reside in informal settlements and slums, are... Read more

To become the greenest city in the world, City staff is working with Council, residents, businesses, other organizations and all levels of government to implement the Greenest City 2020 Action Plan.
The Greenest City 2020 Action Plan (GCAP) builds on the 2009 work of ‘Mayor Gregor Robertson’s’ Greenest City Action Team.
His work was published in ‘Vancouver 2020: A Bright Green Future’. Recognizing the importance of working toward the goals and targets right away, the team also recommended more than 75 quick-start actions that City of Vancouver staff could begin to act on immediately. His team... Read more

Nithya Raman's work is based on the lines of human rights and urban planning, mainly on the access of the urban poor to land and livelihoods. She has worked with different groups including Amnesty International, the Hazards Center, and the Unorganized Workers’ Federation. Nithya co-authored Clouds of Injustice, a report published by Amnesty International on the environmental and health impacts of the Bhopal gas leak of 1984, She is also trained as a classical dancer, and has performed solo and with groups in venues throughout India and abroad. Nithya graduated from Harvard University with a... Read more

UN-Habitat partnered with five international organizations – Habitat for Humanity International, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) – to organize the second session of Housing Forum Europe and Central Asia: ‘Promoting Sustainable Housing Futures for All’, at the Palais des Nations in Geneva, on 22-24 April 2013.
The Forum offered the unique opportunity for UN-Habitat and its partners to discuss and support the regional roll out of the UN Global... Read more

The Member States present unanimously backed the GHS in the form of a Resolution entitled "Inclusive National and Local Housing Strategies to achieve the Global Housing Strategy Paradigm Shift". The highlights include the Governing Council requesting “UN-Habitat to pursue the expected outcomes of the Global Housing Strategy, … including the integration of housing with other urban uses; encouraging “pro-poor” performance of markets; promoting systemic reforms to enable wider access to adequate housing solutions; strengthening linkages between housing, the economy, employment and poverty... Read more